Nail hardening composition and method of making same



United States Pate 3,034,966 NAIL HARDENING CGMPOSITION AND METHOD OFMAKING SAME Edwin W. Williams, 336 Central Park W., Apt. 17-B,

New York, N.Y., assignor of one-half to Doris Williams, New York, NY.

No Drawing. Filed Feb. 9, 1959, Ser. No. 791,802 2 Claims. (Cl. 167-85)This invention relates to an improved method of hardening or tougheningnails, usefully applied to human finger or toe nails, for purposes ofincreasing the resistance of the nails to cracking, splitting,laminating or similar nail damage, and to improved compositions usefulfor such finger and toe nail treatment.

Certain finger or toe nails tend to harden and crack, laminate, split,ridge and the like, variable somewhat with the age and condition ofindividuals. Such damage also occurs sometimes in the occupationalexposure of the nails to extensive wetting of the hands with strongalkaline waters, such as soaps, detergents, solvents, hair waving andcoloring lotions, and sometimes the tendency of nails to crack resultsfrom deliberate cosmetic treatments to soften the surrounding skin andwetting the nails as by manicur-ing, including softening of the cuticlewith alkalies whereby the subsequently dn'ed nails tend unduly to crack,laminate, etc. According to the present invention the nails are wettedwith a nail hardening solution which increases the nail resistance tosuch damage.

I have discovered that nails treated with a solution of certain metalsalts commonly classified as astringents, usually aqueous, tends toreact with the nail proteins, i.e. keratin, and thereby toughen the nailsurface, imparting substantially increased resistance to nail damage asdescribed, such as cracking, splitting, laminating and the like. Whilethese salts, as listed bleow, have the common characteristic of beingastringent, I am not certain that their toughening eifect upon the nailsis due to this property. The salts I found to be outstandingly usefulfor this purpose are the chlorides, sulfates and acetates of the metalsaluminum, zirconium zinc and strontium, although other water solublemetal salts commonly classified as astringents may be used. Typicalsalts are aluminum sulfate, potassium alum, sodium alum, ammonium alum,zinc chloride, zinc sulfate, strontium sulfate, strontium chloride,strontium acetate, aluminum chloride, aluminum acetate, zinc acetate,zirconium chloride and the like.

Generally the treatment of the nail involves dipping or painting, i.e.,wetting the nail thoroughly with an aqueous solution containing the saltin substantial astringent concentration, usually exceeding 1%, andpreferably in the range of l to 5%. It is found that the hardeningeffect upon the nail takes place more rapidly at higher saltconcentrations and temperatures. A substantial hardening effect,however, is available by maintaining the nail wet with a salt solutionof about 1 to 5% for a period of about 1 to 20 minutes. The nailtreating solution most usually applied at ambient temperature may beheated to a temperature as high as the body can comfortably tolerate,that is, approximately up to about 115 F., for a slighlty more rapidhardening eifect. At ambient temperature, solutions containingsubstantially less than 1% of the salt operate too slowly and,particularly at raised temperatures, solutions containing more than 5%of the salt are unnecessarily rapid, and may dry and pucker the skin ofthe finger tips.

For even coating and slightly enhanced penetration and for reducedtendency to evaporate the aqueous solvent, the solution desirablyfurther contains a heavy water soluble polyhydroxy aliphatic alcohol,such as glycerine,

2 ethylene or propylene glycol, which are usually present in quantityranging up to about 25%, preferably 5 to 25%, of the composition, thebalance being water.

The astringent salts above listed have slight bacteriacidal effect onthe skin and nails and therein have additional advantages in the presentuse. However, that incidental function of a nail treating composition todestroy bacteria under, on or about the skin area of the nails, may besupplemented by inclusion of other antibacterial substances, such asformaldehyde, sulfur and certain common antibiotics, such as bacitracin,neomycin and the like.

The present treatment of the nails by wetting with the salt solution,applied for several minutes, variable as defined above, is usefullyapplied as a direct treatment to nails tending to crack, split, etc.,such application being made daily to several times a week depending onthe severity, and until the condition has been substantially alleviated.However, this composition is usefully applied in the treatment of nailsat the time when they are being manicured as another step in themanicuring process. For instance, after the nails have been trimmed andsoftened, as by treating with cuticle softening lotions, comprisingalkaline solutions, and washed, the softened nails may then be dipped inthe present nai-l hardening composition for several minutes, usually 5to 10, washing in clear water and dried. The nail then may be coatedwith the usual lacquer or other cosmetic treatment desired for enhancedappearance. The composition hereof may contain other useful additives,such as perfumes, menthol, creaming agents, opaciiier and the like, toimprove the attractiveness, saleability and utility of the product forthis purpose.

The following examples illustrate the practice of this invention.

Example I Gr. Potassium alum, C.P 3 Glyceri-ne 10 Formaldehyde 0.01Menthol 0.001 Water Balance to Example II Gr. Aluminum chloride, U.S.P3. Propylene glycol l5 Perfume, coloring or opacifier, q.s. WaterBalance to 100 Example III Gr. Aluminum acetate 2 Glycerine 5Formaldehyde 0.1 Perfume, qis. Water Balance to 100 Example IV Thecomposition of Example I is poured into a shallow glass tray and thenails are dipped therein for a period of 10 minutes at room temperature.The treatment is repeated every other day for 8 days. It is found thatthe tendency to crack of the nails is considerably reduced and they havebecome much harder.

Example V The composition of Example II is applied to the nails bypainting each with a few drops of said solution. After 5 minutes thesolution is washed ofi with clear water and after repeating thetreatment about 4 times a week the nails are much harder as in ExampleIV. The nails may also be treated by wetting a cloth or cotton wad andplacing upon the nails as a wet compress for a similar period of time.After the treatment of nails as described, they may be dried andlacquered or given any other usual treatment.

Example VI During a manicuring procedure, nails and cuticles are firstsoftened with an alkaline solution in the conventional manner, thenwashed with clear water and then dipped for a period of minutes into ahardening solution having the composition of Example III and which hasbeen warmed to a temperature of about 110 F. The nails are then washed,dried thoroughly, then highly bufied and finally given a coating of naillacquer.

Certain modifications will occur to those skilled in the art and it isaccordingly intended that the examples herein be given by Way ofillustration and not limiting except as defined in the claims appendedhereto.

I claim:

1. The method of hardening finger nails or the like comprising wettingthe nails, in quantity sufficient to retard evaporation, with an aqueoussolution of a water soluble salt selected from the group consisting ofsulfates, chlorides and acetate of aluminum, zinc and strontium inconcentration in the range of 15% and further containing 1-25% of apolyhydroxy aliphatic alcohol selected from the group consisting ofglycerine, ethylene and propylene glycol.

2. The method of hardening finger nails or the like comprisingsubmerging the nails for a period of at least five minutes in an aqueoussolution of a water soluble salt selected from the group consisting ofsulfates, chlorides and acetate of aluminum, zinc and strontium inconcentration in the range of l'5% and further containing 125% of apolyhydroxy aliphatic alcohol selected from the group consisting ofglycerine, ethylene and propylene glycol, with said solution being at atemperature not xceeding F.

References Cited in the file of this patent De Navarre: The Chem. andManuf. of Cosmetics, D. Van Nostrand, N.Y., 1941, 'pp. 262, 298, 310,322-326, 329.

US. Dispensatory, J. B. Lippincott, Phila., 24th -Ed., 1947, pp. 51,485.

The Chemistry of Tanning Processes, Academic Press, Inc., N.Y., 1956,pp. 1-3, 4, 356-365.

The Natl Dispensatory, Lea Bros, Phila., Pa., 1896, pp. 166, 177,1722-1725.

Hiss et al.: Standard Formulary, G. P. Engelhard and Company,Chicago,1920, p. 1021.

1. THE METHOD OF HARDENING FIGURE NAILS OR THE LIKE COMPRISING WETTINGTHW NAILS, IN QUANTITY SUFFICIENT TO RETARD EVAPORATION, WITH AN AQUEOUSSOLUTION OF A WATER SOLUBLE SALT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OFSULFATES, CHLORIDES AND ACETATE OF ALUMINUM, ZINC AND STRONTIUM INCONCENTRATION IN THE RANGE OF 1-5% AND FURTHER CONTAINING 1-25% OF APOLYHYDROXY ALIPHATIC ALCOHOL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OFGYLCERINE, ETHYLENE AND PROPYLENE GLYCOL.